The invention herein relates to an improvement of the "Vehicle-use Foldable Beverage Holder" invention registered under U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,909, specifically referring to a kind of improved vehicle-use foldable beverage holder offering installation and utilization enhancements.
The invention herein was first improved by the lather of the applicant as the "Vehicle-use Foldable Beverage Holder" and, as indicated FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, was mainly comprised of a mounting plate (1), a base plate (2), a left clip arm (3a), a right clip arm (3b), and clip arm rod (5). The aforesaid adjustable vehicle-use foldable beverage holder offered more practicality than conventional beverage holders. However, since the installation and mounting method remained similar to that of conventional beverage holders in that the mounting plate (1) was directly fastened by means of screws or adhesives to a vertical interior surface or inside the door of a vehicle and the can or cup of beverage was held onto the base plate (2) by the two clip arms (3a) and (3b), which prevented the occurrence of slanting. Due to the introduction of numerous vehicle models, especially luxury sedans having interiors characterized by a flowing line design, locating a vertical area for fastening or adhering the mounting plate (1) became increasingly difficult and required a modification so that the underside of the base plate (2) could be directly adhered near the driver's seat or other level installation surfaces. Furthermore, since the "Vehicle-use Foldable Beverage Holder" developed by the father of the applicant and of the conventional products were not equipped with a support connecting rod, the mounting plate (1) frequently tended to automatically fall over and cover the base plate (2) (as depicted in FIG. 7), such that when a beverage can or beverage cup was placed onto the base plate (2), slanting would occur at the slightest contact. While most beverage spills in vehicles dirty the interior, such messes can be cleaned up. However, seated passengers are exposed to injury by scalding if a hot beverage tips over in the vehicle, a very unsafe situation. Furthermore, there are numerous vertically and horizontally intersecting reinforcement ribs (14) on the rear surface of the mounting plate (1) body (10) such that when the aforesaid vehicle-use foldable beverage holder is not being utilized, the two clip arms (3a) and (3b) are folded down against the front of the mounting plate (1) and then the mounting plate (1) is folded against the base plate (2) (as depicted in FIG. 9) to conserve space. However, the numerous reinforcement ribs (14) on the exterior of existent vehicle-use beverage holders is totally unattractive and, furthermore, does not match the interior flowing lines of vehicles, which a frequent consumer complaint.
The applicant of the invention herein has accumulated many years of experience while assisting his father in the manufacturing and marketing of the aforementioned vehicle-use beverage holder and, furthermore, has observed that both the aforesaid beverage holder as well as conventional units are affected by the aforementioned shortcomings and, therefore, conducted research and testing to develop the improved vehicle-use beverage holder of the invention herein.